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Sunday, April 30, 2017

Pricing and Models
The Series 2$359.00 at Amazon comes in the same sizes as the original Apple Watch$699.99 at Apple Store. The 38mm model (starting at $369) measures 1.5 by 1.3 by 0.4 inches (HWD), while the 42mm version (starting at $399) is 1.7 by 1.4 by 0.4 inches.

It looks the same as the original too, though Apple has added a ceramic case option (starting at $1,249) in addition to aluminum or stainless steel; Apple says the ceramic is four times tougher than the steel. The ceramic watch is slightly different in size, at 1.5 by 1.3 by 0.5 inches and 1.6 by 1.4 by 0.4 inches for the 38mm and 42mm models, respectively.

There's also the Apple Watch Nike+, which starts at $369 for the 38mm model and $399 for the 42mm version. Both are made of aluminum (no stainless steel or ceramic options here), with sporty color combinations including Black/Volt (screaming neon yellow), Black/Cool Gray, Flat Silver/White, and Flat Silver/Volt. Its strap is made of the same strong elastomer silicone as Apple's band, but it's perforated for better ventilation as you sweat. The Nike model also includes exclusive watch faces and Siri commands, and the Nike Run Club app is built-in and accessible right from the home screen.

There's one more new model, sort the Apple Watch Series 1. It replaces the original Apple Watch, and is basically the same hardware as the Series 2, but without the brighter screen, built-in GPS, and waterproofing. It starts at $269.

Design

As you can see (above), Apple once again opts for a square look with the Series 2, whereas a lot of the competition, like the Samsung Gear S3 and the Asus ZenWatch 3, go the more traditional circular route. I find Apple's design attractive, and like it stands out a bit. It's also very comfortable, to the point that I could sleep with it on without it being a bother.

You'll find the rotating Digital Crown on the right; pushing it in twice opens up the main app while rotating it zooms in or out, scrolls, and inputs data depending on the screen you're looking at. Next to the Digital Crown is the simply named Side Button. It wakes the watch up, powers it on and off when held down, pulls up the Dock (more on that in a bit), and sends an SOS alert. On the left side you'll find two tiny slots for the speakers, and two pinholes for the microphone. Underneath, you'll see metallic charging contacts and tiny buttons on either side that you push to slide off the swappable band.

Inside the box, you get the watch itself, a metallic charging cradle, a power adapter, and large and small bands.

Display

The Series 2 has an OLED Retina touch display, just like the original, but it's twice as bright, at 1,000 compared with the original's 450. That's bright enough to light your way in a dark room, and it's easily viewable in direct sunlight. The 38mm and 42mm models have a resolution of 272-by-340 and 312-by-390 pixels, respectively, just like the original. That works out to just over 300 pixels per inch () for the 42mm model. Images, text, and video all look nice and sharp. It's even better than the the 400-by-400-pixel, 286ppi display on the Huawei Watch$199.99 at Amazon.
Force Touch is back, which means you can push hard on the display to activate different functions depending on the app or screen that's open. If you're on the watch face, for example, you can press down and then cycle through the other faces available. In Twitter, Force Touching brings up the screen to compose a new Tweet.

The display isn't always on, which means it blinks off when you put your wrist down or when you're not doing anything on the watch for around 10 seconds. By contrast, the Pebble Time$84.97 at Amazon and the forthcoming Samsung Gear S3 are always on, which is convenient when you're glancing at your wrist for the time.

Waterproofing and Battery Life

You can take the Series 2 down to 164 feet underwater. Apple cautions that it shouldn't be used for scuba diving or waterskiing. You can swim with it, though, and use it to track swimming stats including calories burned, distance traveled, pace, and strokes. That puts it on par with waterproof fitness trackers like our Editors' Choice, the Garmin Forerunner 735XT$449.99 at Amazon.
An impressive new mechanism in the watch's speaker any water that finds its way inside. You'll know it's time to remove liquid when you see a water drop icon at the top of the display. When that happens, simply rotate the side dial, wait, and watch liquid sputter out of the speaker port, accompanied by a mechanical whirring sound. I wore the Series 2 in the pool, shower, and submerged it under the faucet every chance I got, and only had to eject water twice. To dry it, all you have to do is give it a shake and wipe the excess water off.

You can't use the touch screen underwater, and it can be difficult to swipe through app screens with wet fingers. The Garmin Forerunner 735XT, by comparison, has buttons you can easily press to cycle through exercise data.